Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Red Yoirvine’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Red Yoirvine’, characterized by its upright and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching and vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response; early flowering habit, eight-week response time; freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with crimson red-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Crysanthemum Plant Named Pink Yoirvine (U.S. Plant Application Ser. No. 11/705,881); Wendy R. Bergman, applicant; filed concurrently.

Crysanthemum Plant Named Yellow Yoirvine (U.S. Plant Application Ser. No. 11/705,883); Wendy R. Bergman, applicant; filed concurrently.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Red Yoirvine’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a potted Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Red Yoirvine’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoirvine, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the cultivar Yoirvine in December, 2003, in Fort Myers, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, vigor, freely branching habit, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time and excellent postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in March, 2004. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Red Yoirvine have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Red Yoirvine’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Red Yoirvine’ as a new and distinct potted Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly mounded plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching and vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   4. Uniform flowering response.     -   5. Typically grown as a center-budded or natural spray type.     -   6. Early flowering habit, eight-week response time.     -   7. Freely flowering habit.     -   8. Daisy-type inflorescences with crimson red-colored ray         florets.     -   9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good         substance and color for about four weeks in an interior         environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the parent, the cultivar Yoirvine, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower a few days later than         plants of the cultivar Yoirvine.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yoirvine         differ in ray floret color as plants of the cultivar Yoirvine         have light purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivars Pink Yoirvine and Yellow Yoirvine primarily in ray floret color.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Red Yoauburn, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,007. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Fort Myers, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Red Yoauburn in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had darker green-colored         foliage than plants of the cultivar Red Yoauburn.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the         cultivar Red Yoauburn differed in ray floret color as plants of         the cultivar Red Yoauburn had lighter red-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Red Yoirvine’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Red Yoirvine’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Leamington, Ontario, Canada during the autumn in a glass-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from about 21° C. to 27° C., night temperatures ranged from about 17° C. to 19° C. and light levels ranged from 4,000 to 6,000 foot candles. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in 15 cm-containers, exposed to long day/short night conditions, and pinched about three weeks later. At that time, the photoinductive short day/long night treatments were started. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were center-budded and were about eleven weeks old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Observations and measurements were taken from a single plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Red     Yoirvine. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoirvine, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten days at             temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine to thick, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum             typically grown as a center-budded or as a natural spray             type. Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a             uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching             habit, about five lateral branches develop after removal of             terminal apex (pinching); dense and full plant habit. Strong             and vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 27 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 24 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Internode length: About 2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: 148B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 7 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.2 cm.         -   Shape.—Palmately lobed.         -   Apex.—Cuspidate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral lobes             mostly parallel.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Fine pubescence; veins             prominent on lower surface.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             147A; venation, 147B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 147C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with obovate to             ligulate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals above foliage. Disk and ray florets arranged             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescence faintly fragrant,             typical of Chrysanthemum. Typically grown as a center-budded             or as a natural spray type.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early flowering habit; plants             exposed to three weeks of long day/short night conditions             followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions             flower about eight weeks later.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about four weeks in an interior             environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering, about 22             inflorescences develop per plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 183B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.6 cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.6 cm. Receptacle             height: About 7 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.5 cm.             Receptacle color: 147B.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Obovate to ligulate. Orientation:             Initially upright, then about 70° from vertical; eventually             reflexed. Aspect: Initially incurved, then mostly flat.             Length: About 3.4 cm. Width: About 9 mm. Apex: Emarginate.             Base: Attenuate; short corolla tube. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             velvety. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 24             arranged in about one to two whorls. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Brighter and more intense than 187C. When             opening, lower surface: Close to 185B. Fully opened, upper             surface: Close to 185A. Fully opened, lower surface:             Slightly more grey than 185D.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.             Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length: About             7 mm. Width: About 2 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: About 220. Color, immature: Apex: Close to             1A. Mid-section: Close to 1C. Base: Close to 4C. Color,             mature: Apex: Close to 5A. Mid-section: Close to 5D. Base:             Close to 4D.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 28             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 8 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy.             Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             Close to 147B. Color, lower surface: Close to 148B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 6.4 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 8.5 cm. Diameter (first peduncle): About             1.5 mm. Angle: About 45° to 60° from vertical. Strength:             Strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 148B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to             1C. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther length: About             2 mm. Anther color: Close to 7A. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Close to 7A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray             and disc florets. Pistil length: About 7 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 5A. Style length: About             4 mm. Style color: Close to 4D. Ovary color: Close to 155A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of about 5° C. and     high temperatures of about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Red Yoirvine’ as illustrated and described. 